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Steak And Shake Mis-Steakburgers

MEDIOCRE FOOD (AVERAGE) AT BEST, CLOSES 44 LOCATIONS

This franchise is living proof at times that it's the sizzle and not the beef that sells here. A couple friends grabbed me and we went out for a quick lunch. Being on a short schedule they picked Steak and Shake. Oh-oh, closed,  been there, done that.  We went to another one.

We stood around like idiots waiting to be seated. I thought it was strange since there were only seven people in the whole place. We were almost out-numbered by the waiters. Finally after the help decided whose turn it was, we ordered the Double Hamburger Platters, Ooops "STEAK BURGERS” 

04/16/2021 - We have learned of more closings, a new ordering system and process for eating there. Sounds like the problems with them are worse than we thought. The people woke up to the inferior food and hype.  The current generation of eaters are not fans of fast food as previous generations — It’s probably called intelligence.

The Fake False Bullsh*T Steakburger - Under Primed And Under Fed

My ears detected the familiar steel banging on the grill and cremation of a sub 1/8 pound hockey puck weighing a massive  2.2 OZ. before cooking, about 1.8 OZ. after cremation and severe flattening to fit the bun and when held up to the light, you could see Russia.  Sarah Palin loves Steak and Shake.

It was their trademark "STEAK-BURGER". The concerto of meat smashed clanging is music to the managers ears.  Their stated purpose is to sear the flavor in, their reason only, and my mind saw it as a “ Stunt to spread the meager amount of beef enough to cover the bun and fast cook the mini burger“.    

It was skillfully performed by a clone of Dr. Kevorkian, aka the steak sizzler and sound effects performer who live on stage (open kitchen) totally smashed every living ounce of taste out of the mini-hockey puck of “ TEAK".   

Now fully crushed to widen it out to look like a hamburger, it was flattened so hard when held up to the light you can see through it.  Perfection! Brings a new meaning to the expression  “ Wheres the Beef?”  After smoothing and stretching the single burger weighed about 1.78 oz.  About half a quarter pounder which is not 1/4 pound of meat after cooking either. It’s not even a 1/8 pound burger.  

But thats the plan, you "bump" yourself the next time up to a double Original Burger and add cheese so that you can taste meat.  In reality, you just added a dollar to your ticket for 15 cents worth of chopped “ Fake Steak" aka minced meat.  

OK, hamburger is beef and beef by-products. By-products are some parts of the cow I won't mention. If you think because they call their meat "STEAK BURGERS" and you are getting prime sirloin, filet mignon, or  T-bones, rib-eye and other expensive cuts, then get off the pot you're smoking or sitting on.  Cows are large animals and there is lots of meat that is called “ Steak" from a cow.  As long as it is cut in steak fashion, then it is ground to death and mixed with 100 other dead cows and a machine make it into a hockey puck so it packs tightly while frozen.   That why the box sits open on the left side of the grill.  

Longest Ongoing Misrepresentation Award  —  Steak and Shake wins hands and rumps down!   The company maintains that their burgers are still made from “ The finest of steaks” and I’m from Brooklyn.  The food show-me state.   Most of the rear of the cow is in their burger.  Rump roast is not Filet mignon, The rear legs and underbelly are not Porterhouse.

You are not going to take the rest of the cow and dispose of the other products for nothing just to make Steakburger’s.   Yet their discloser states 100% beef.   Thats like saying poop contains 100% poop.  It’s in the CORPORATE GUANO, those words from the bean counting lying scumbags in the corporate office.

This usually implies no fillers, thank goodness, it does nor guarantee however you are getting minced filet mignon.  100% beef simply means it came from a cow,  bovine not a horse,  pig,  goat,  elephant, gecko, or rabbit.

Steak 'n Shake Operations, Inc. (doing business as Steak 'n Shake) is an American casual restaurant chain concentrated primarily in the Midwestern United States with locations also in the South, Mid-Atlantic and Western United States, Europe, and the Middle East. The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Biglari Holdings.

As of 2018, 628 Steak ’  Shake restaurants were in operation; 414 corporate operations and 214 franchised establishments, although the company has since been attempting to convert to a fully franchised model.  it’s not working, we have three failures in Tampa bay alone sitting idle. waiybg r

The corporation’s slogan “  Famous for Steakburgers" refers to its most prominent food item, the "Steakburger", so called because it was ( Claimed) originally made from a mixture that included T-bone, sirloin, and round steaks. The “ Steak” in the restaurant name comes from that menu item.  Not exactly the combo used today

Not Nice To Employees, Franchises and Customers  —  

Franchise pricing lawsuits  —  Between 2010 and 2015, Steak 'n Shake became involved in lawsuits with several of its franchisees concerning mandatory menu prices and mandatory food sourcing.  As of August 2013, five lawsuits had been filed.  The first lawsuit began in 2010 and is by Stuller, Inc.,  the Illinois franchisee that is the oldest franchisee in Steak ’n Shake's history. Stiller won a preliminary injunction that went to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2012.   Three more franchisees filed suit in April 2013—Druco Restaurants based in St. Louis, People Sales & Profit Co. based in Georgia, and Scott’s S&S Inc. in Pennsylvania.   A settlement was reached with these franchisees in 2014, but terms of the settlement were not made public.

Steak ’n Shake filed suit against Denver franchisees Larry and Christopher Baerns in July 2013 over the same issues, with a counterclaim soon after.  Steak 'n Shakes won their lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Baerns when judge ruled that the Baerns intentionally overcharged customers.  The complaints by the franchisees also question whether Steak ’n Shake promised franchise results that could never actually be achieved under its policies.

Employee classification lawsuits  —  286 managers in the St. Louis area filed and won a lawsuit against Steak ’  Shake on grounds that they were misclassified as exempt employees unable to earn overtime.   Steak 'n Shake had to pay $7.7 million in damages. They were sued again by an even larger group of 1100+ managers on similar grounds; as of 2019, that case was pending but it’s a strong case…

Additional Complaints  —  I noticed on the web that many had written expressing the same feelings and about the cost and what you got for the money you spent.  There was a lot of complaints.   That quieted down a bit after the four dollar menu came out.  After reading over 150 complaints, there were many more about personnel, rather than the food.  Any food source will receive complaints about the food, the quality, the amount, the cost.  Understood, this is not Mommas kitchen and you are not  home. 

Interesting enough, many complaints arose of a different nature,  some coming from ex-employees.  OK , I understand "Disgritelus Americanus". But racial discrimination, not aiding the deaf on the car lines, bad service, insolent employees,      “ Tipping required signs” and a host of other slams appeared.

I think management should have listened to these things, instead of listening to their lawyers. New low cost menus came out, that might cool the food issues.  Any one can type in Google the “ Franchise name followed by the word complaints"  and you will see what others think about any chain and at times it is not pretty.   In reality the chains should have a designated employee reading those things daily and if a store location is not or noted it should be forwarded. 

They don't, I write a lot to them and almost never get an answer. The criminal part is that several of these franchise locations are mentioned more than once. result , they close…

Health Department Findings  — Three S&S Stores Closed In Tampa Bay

STEAK N SHAKE  #350   8101 DR MLK ST N   ST PETERSBURG, 33702 
                      Violations    16-Basic   8-Intermediate  4-High    Total   28 Violations

Nutritional Data —  Content Claim:  A single Steak burger contains 280 calories, 100 of those calories from fat, 11 grams of fat, I don’t know if I would call it lean.  Don’t confuse thin and skinny with lean, as they are underweight burgers weighing 2.2 oz uncooked or about 1.75 cooked. ( Less than an eighth of a pound)  Thats why they sell doubles to fill the bun.  And if they are Prime Beef,  I am Atila tHe Hun… what bullsh*t…

False Labeling —  These definitions are by the American Heritage, Harper Collins, Word Net3.0 dictionaries  Steak [Steɪk] Any of various cuts of beef of varying quality, used for braising, stewing, etc.  Beefsteak is also referred to a slice of beef, taken from the loin or the hindquarters   ( THE REAR) But “ Steak”  also refers to any cut of meat or fish cooked whole by various methods, like Salmon Steaks.  Nothing to do by claiming it is a Steak burger,  just Corporate bullsh*t we call “ Corpo Guano”.

  

Hamburger From Hamburg  - No German Town Called SteakBurger  —  But we are talking about Hamburgers, which did not derive their name from Ham but from their country of origin, which is Germany.  By the middle of the 19th century people in the port city of Hamburg, Germany, enjoyed a form of pounded beef called Hamburg steak. The large numbers of Germans who migrated to North America during this time probably brought the dish and its name along with them.

The entrée may have appeared on an American menu as early as 1836, although the first recorded use of Hamburg steak is not found until 1884. The variant form hamburger steak, using the German adjective Hamburger meaning “ From Hamburg,” first appears in a Walla - Walla, Washington, newspaper in 1889. 

By 1902 we find the first description of a Hamburg steak close to our conception of the hamburger, namely a recipe calling for ground beef mixed with onion and pepper. By then the hamburger was on its way, to be followed much later by the shortened form burger, used in forming cheeseburger and the names of other variations on the basic burger, as well as on its own.   Basically a Steak Burger is nothing more than minced meat prepared in the same way as any hamburger and since it’s from the ass end or cheaper end of the sow, it’s just corporate bullsh*t.

Is It Really Steak Or Advertising?

(OR BULLSH*T)

There Are Several Points Of Information Here   (Corporate Lies)
Steak burgers are a trademarked name for a hamburger that owes its name to founder Gus Belt’s practice of grinding round, sirloin and T-bone steaks (there is also a T-Bone pot roast cut)  into burgers in full view of customers.  Smart, he was a showman, took the rib-side, the upper ass or the rump and the lower ass, or the round.   That may not be what they got…

The T-Bone with waste from the bone gets thrown in. Most folks don’t know one cut of meat from another so it looked like they were getting top notch burger meat.  You were and still are getting (Pun) Bullshitted meat.  

Today it takes a lot more parts to feed those machines that Steak and Shake uses to make the  “hockey pucks” they form for shipping.   Basically cheaper cuts to feed an operation this size with 400 locations and strict company policies can’t do that today so maybe the mix has expanded… with a delete today you get Rump, Round , Shank, Sirloin, 

Even butcher shops, standalone, if you can find one, or chain stores like Sam’s cut behind glass for reasons of cleanliness and sanitorial concerns.  But you never see the whole operation.   And there is the question of  round and sirloin being the caboose of the cow train. Thats what gets put into Steak and Shake “Steak burgers”. They just don’t mention rump and shank.

Steak burgers implying that steak only is used in their burger.  True it is steak if it came from slabs of beef and then ground.  But there are parts far more expensive in a cow that we associate with quality cuts which truly are steaks. 

 (SEE BURGER WARS)

Great marketing, they have been doing it for years and the public doesn’t know the difference.  Just like the voting booth, most vote by name recognition, not the quality of the public servant running for office.

2016 - 2019 New Promo — New Menu — Still Sucks  —

• FOOD  - First the new menu, which offered reasonable (lowered) prices for what you order.   And the items were popular basics, for the value it was an improvement since in the past since their the food was overpriced. And their quality was well, we called under thought, like under food.
• SERVICE - This time we got immediate seating, courteous employees. The food was as ordered, served hot and much better,  but nothing to rave about…I dropped in during a busy day time and later in the week at night.   From where I sat I could see the crew station.  Very clean, lots of hand washing, serving trays wiped after use, the soft drinks were in glass, clean, clear ice, fresh looking and effervescent. 
• VALUE - The food was medium-priced for the quality and quantity. Nothing I would go back for.
• IMPROVEMENT NEEDED - And when I compared apples to apples, these prices were in line for the better quality.  If they were to put a half ounce more meat in each patty and cut regular fries, they would own the business.  But the beanies don’t think that way and they are stupid.  I walked out still hungry, wanted a desert but I do not eat milk products like a shake with meat.  Old Jewish Kosher tradition.

REVIEWED MARCH 21, 2018 — FRAUD  — The New Burger ( Fanfare or Taps) 

• NEW SPECIALS — A Larger  Burger - Texas Bar-Be-Q And Truffles —   Ok I’m game, I went for the truffles.  i know what they are and these are not truffles.  
• It’s a 6 oz. hand-crafted Prime Steakburger (PRE-cooked weight and cooked probably dried about 5 oz)
• Topped with two slices of Tillamook® all-natural Swiss cheese…   Big deal and Tillamook is a city in Oregon, not Switzerland on the Pacific coast, with about 6000 people. 
• Pre-grilled canned button mushrooms, caramelized onions and a decadent Truffle AIOLI sauce on a toasted brioche bun.
• Served with Skinny Fries. (yes those are string bean fries with more oil than taste, more height than real potato fries and small servings)
  
• Strike One - The first burger one I got was overcooked, burnt and dried out.
• Second Strike -  The second one was drowned in this strange sauce and had cooked mushrooms and Caramelized Onions and I suppose the yellow stuff was the truffle, or was it the mushrooms… It All Sucked And Was Quickly Dropped…

Truffle Bluff-Ell  ( Corpo-Guano Extreme ) It Sucked!

👺 Now it’s a little misleading, the only Truffle possibly is the name on the bottle.  No shaved truffles on the burger. Truffles are a strong-smelling underground fungus that resembles an irregular, rough-skinned potato, growing chiefly in broadleaved woodland on calcareous soils. It is considered a culinary delicacy and found, especially in France, with the aid of trained dogs or pigs. There are no truffles, real shaved truffles on your burger.  There are 50 or so various truffle sauces available on the web and from Amazon ( More corpo-guano bullsh*t, all synthetic, created in the science lab)
 

👺 The so-called decadent AIOLI sauce is common, very common.  Maybe decadent means its laid on the shelf for two years and we have to use it up.  ( More corpo-guano bullshit) The corporate guys really do it up with words. This was some Aioli concoction, commercially available from either SYSCO, US FOODS, or Gordon Food Service, but it’s guaranteed 99% commercial sauce which is well know in the business and come in one and two gallon jugs.   

Almost every restaurant I know who are on a higher plane and make their own sauces, wants it fresh most days for fish or meat dishes in a little yellow dipping dish.  Nothing spectacular, but it contains a raw egg and can spoil bad. The commercial stuff uses substitutes instead of egg so no one gets raw egg Salmonella…

👺 There is another version of Aioli sauce called DONKEY sauce.  Donkey Sauce was named Donkey Sauce because, long story short, Guy Fieri once said, “ You have to put sauce on the burgers or you're a jackass," and another chef with a "thick accent" asked what a jackass was.   A jackass is a donkey, and the sauce was branded as such, according to Eater magazine. Now, with this new rebranding, Donkey Sauce is the new and improved “sexier” aioli. I make my own version.

Al’s I Jackass Sauce…I add a touch of Sriracha and a few herbs… ( Secret)

There are seven very common ingredients (7) plus Sriracha…

• 2 medium garlic cloves.
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
• 1 large egg.
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• 1/2 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil.
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Kosher salt.
  
• Pinch or drip of Sriracha for bite.
• Since it contains raw egg, use, and dispose, …

The Bottom Line  —  So after a few minutes of digesting this burger, more like starring at it, I came to the following conclusions.   It sucked.  At 7.00 plus dollars it was not worth it. You would be doing better getting the mushroom burger and fries for 4.00 and only loosing the .8 of an ounce of meat and that decadent sauce, ketchup would have been better.  It was not impressive even with the knife sticking out of the top.

The truffle sauce was a sham just like the use of the word steak burger, no such thing.  The rump was never considered a prime cut, just good advertising.  Just think of those cowboys at the back of the herd starring at steakburgers all day.

I did not eat there since last year in February, I don't believe I will go back. This is the bottom of the food chain and the fault lies with the corporation not listening to the customers. They make money, the food is skimpy, and a good chef management team and people values not corporate values could take the clean store and good personnel to a higher level.

When I passed it a month later it was closed and out of business. the a few weeks later another one closed.Three Steak and Shakes have closed — fini — gone — no takers — not reopening.  Killed by bad food  and really bad decisions by the bean counters who think people are stupid… I feel for the franchises’s who bled almost a million dollars to buy into a lemon.